Robert Shirley, 6th Earl Ferrers
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Robert Shirley, 6th Earl Ferrers (20 July 1723 – 18 April 1787) was a British Hereditary peer.
ArtistJoseph Wright of Derby
Yearc. 1766[citation needed]
MediumOil on canvas[citation needed]
Dimensions1473 mm × 2032 mm (58 in × 80 in)
| A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Joseph Wright of Derby |
| Year | c. 1766[citation needed] |
| Medium | Oil on canvas[citation needed] |
| Dimensions | 1473 mm × 2032 mm (58 in × 80 in) |
| Location | Derby Museum and Art Gallery[citation needed], Derby, England |
Ferrers was born in 1723 in St James, Westminster, the third son of Hon Laurence Shirley and grandson of Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers.
Marriage and children
On 26 December 1754, Ferrers married Catherine Cotton (d. 26 March 1786), with whom he had three children:[1]
- Robert Shirley, 7th Earl Ferrers (21 September 1756 – 2 May 1827)
- Lawrence Rowland Ferrers (1757 – 5 February 1773), who appears as a youth in Joseph Wright's painting, "A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery"
- Washington Shirley, 8th Earl Ferrers (13 November 1760 – 2 October 1842)